Great Vancouver Earthquake Charity Vigil
December 21st, 2030: Charity Vigil for the Victims of the Great Vancouver Earthquake New Vancouver, B.C., Canada *Applause* Welcome everyone, and thank you all so much for being here. My name is Elora Watts and I'm the mayor of New Vancouver, or what was once called the city of Surrey. Exactly two years ago today, an 8.6 magnitude earthquake struck six kilometres off the coast of B.C. Vancouver city, much of the Lower Mainland, and all of Vancouver Island were immediately engulfed by a tsunami the likes of which has not been seen on the West Coast since the 1958 Lituya Bay megatsunami. Thousands of families were torn apart on that fateful day, but thanks to an incredible outpouring of worldwide support, efforts to rebuild are far ahead of schedule. Many of us have lost everything, fallen victim to Mother Nature's cruelest joke, and yet here we stand, united and joined by a shared tragedy still fresh in our hearts and minds... a tragedy we'll never let topple our resolve and our ability to see the light at the end of a long, dark tunnel. Today we'll be hearing from several keynote speakers as we drive to raise money in support of the Vancouver Displacement Fund, an organization dedicated to helping survivors of the Great Vancouver Earthquake find new lives in other Canadian cities. So today I ask that you help us both remember those we have lost, and to do everything we can to help those still battling to find a new life. Our first speaker today is a high ranking member of the Canadian military. Considered a peace strategist, she was made famous for negotiations with the United States which led to the peaceful and temporary surrender of the Alberta Oil Sands. Let me welcome to the stage, Major Taryn Fisher: *Applause* Thank you, Mayor Watts. Merry Christmas, everyone. When I was originally asked to speak today, I must admit the idea was not one I relished. What could I say that hasn't already been said or felt by countless others in the same position? I had painstakingly constructed a speech I'd planned to read today, one where I spoke of the tragedy we've befallen and how perseverance can see us through. Well, I threw that speech away about an hour ago. Why did I do that? It's because once I got here and began meeting others like myself, I began to see a pattern which put a smile on my face. My speech about loss and pain no longer seemed valid because all I can see today are strong willed individuals looking to the future with hope in their hearts. Positivity reigns on this day, and my thoroughly depressing speech wasn't going to do anyone any good. *Laughter* One young man in particular I met this morning, Gary Ma, had lost his mother and wife in the quake. Since then he's spent the past two years developing a new form of early warning system for the Canadian Government. He'll never forget the pain but also felt the only way to give meaning to the death of his family was to help in the prevention of future tragedies. Gary's story is similar to so many I've been hearing today. People rising past their grief to find a silver lining once thought impossible, and to find peace in the most unusual of places. My story. They told me I had to tell my story today, that by hearing about my particular grief and how I've managed to accept it, perhaps it can help others through theirs. My husband, two children, father, and four brothers were all killed in the Vancouver quake. I was stationed in Ottawa at the time and was on my way home for the holidays when it struck. I was actually in the airport awaiting my flight to Vancouver... which of course never came. Misery ensued. For six months I barely left home, barely spoke to anyone. My friends worried about me as I refused their kindness, refused to believe anyone was capable of helping me through what I was feeling. Nobody understood my grief. How could they? It was mine and mine alone, or so I once thought. That grief still stands - some nights I cry myself to sleep while others I spend fondly remembering the good memories shared with my family - but the fact is I've come to realize I'm not alone, and that is a truly empowering realization. That is about when I decided on MY early warning system. My plans to distract myself from unconstructive self reflection and at the same time make my family proud. I wanted them to look down on me and smile, knowing I've done everything I can to be true to myself and to become what they always wanted for me. I like to think they're proud of the things I've done, and of who I've become without them. I also like to think that my accomplishments are a reflection of my desire to better myself, to always be what my family loved most about me, and it's this desire which has seen me reach new heights in my life both personally and professionally. My family will always be with me, guiding me through the rest of my days as nothing less than my moral compass. It is their strength and love which I take with me from that tragic day two years ago, and will continue to hold dear for the rest of my life. I urge you all to do the same: find the strength to better yourself and make your loved ones proud. Thank you. *Applause* Category:Great Vancouver Earthquake Category:New Vancouver Category:Elora Watts Category:1958 Category:Lituya Bay Category:Vancouver Displacement Fund Category:United States Category:Alberta Oil Sands Category:Taryn Fisher Category:Transcripts Category:Gary Ma